The Hufnagel post

December 27, 2013by Seb Carayol

As you might have noticed, Keith Hufnagel as become uptown’s top ranking business man. We still got a chance to catch him for a few questions before he stormed back into the HUF cyclone… Just a little extra that wasn’t in “FTC,” The FTC book, which is still very much for sale right here.

When did you first start going to SF to skate? Why SF btw?
I started going to Sf in 1991 and moved to SF in 1992 to go to college. SF was the closest thing to NYC for me . Also at this time SF was the capital of skateboarding with Emb in its prime. I was chasing the skateboard dream

How long would you say you lived in SF?
At that time I lived there for 4 years. In the end I lived in SF for a total of 16 years

Was FTC at all part of why you wanted to move here?
It was not the reason I moved there but I did enjoy it while I lived there

Had you heard of FTC before you came?
Yes I did see it in a Thrasher or something. I ended up visiting the store that was on Bush and Franklin in 1991

Best/worst/weirdest/funniest FTC-related story?
Bammer Beth!!!!!

Care to elaborate about that?
I would like to keep it just as that. Kind of an inside joke if that is OK. Too much sex shit.

Were you one of the dudes with a constant big tab in Kent’s book, or not?
I think I was pretty responsible and never really had a tab. I did have a small one but not one of those guys

What kind of look do you have on these years? Did they at all shape your current mentality in skateboarding?
Damn I can’t really remember. I think I was just in my normal gear. Nothing weird or crazy at that time

When you look back on the “FTC years” what’s the most vivid memory you got?
I remember filming for the video. It was one of my first video parts and was stoked to be apart of a video with the FTC/EMB crew

How did you become part of the team?
I have no idea. Must have just been from hanging in that crowd Or Aaron Meza

Do you remember your first time at FTC? What do you remember it to be like, compared to what you expected?
It was a sport store with a skate shop in the back. It wasn’t exactly what I thought but the skate shop in the back was pretty awesome.

Who were some random characters you’d remember that’d swing by the shop when you worked there?
Oh man Keltch in his prime. Watch out!

Did the HUF story kind of start at, or because of FTC, at all?
I guess a little. I wanted to start a skate shop but out of respect for Kent I went the sneaker store route instead . Also put the store very far away from where Kent was doing business

Is there anything you learned at FTC that you applied to your new business?
I guess to make your own product, but I was just a skater for the shop (FTC) in the end.